Plasma levels of leucocyte elastase-generated cross linked fibrin degradation products (E-XDP) are elevated in chronic venous disease

Patients with chronic venous disease (CVD) have elevated levels of leucocyte elastase (LE) released from the activation of leucocytes. In acute deep venous thrombosis (DVT), LE can degrade fibrin from the thrombus resulting in cross-linked fibrin degradation products (E-XDP) being released into the bloodstream. In patients with CVD the levels and significance of circulating E-XDP are unknown. We aimed to investigate the association between plasma E-XDP concentration and severity of CVD. Levels of E-XDP were quantified with a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in plasma from 142 consecutively recruited CVD patients (mean age 64 years, (range 23–89), 81 were females and 61 males). Patients were also divided into three groups based on CVD severity using the C-class of the Clinical-Etiological-Anatomical-Pathophysiological (CEAP) classification, with C 0–1 class as the reference group, C 2–3 as the second group and C 4–6 as the third group with the most severely affected patients. We found significantly elevated levels of E-XDP in patients with C 4–6 compared with patients with C 0–1 (p = 0.007) and increased with increasing disease severity across the groups (p = 0.02). Significant independent association was observed between levels of E-XDP and the classes C 4–6 after adjustment for age and sex (p < 0.05), but the association was no longer significant after further adjustment for use of statins, use of anticoagulants and history of DVT (p = 0.247). This exploratory study shows that E-XDP levels are elevated in patients with CVD, encouraging further studies on the role of E-XDP in CVD.